Her house
by Loz06
Summary: He hangs up on her, if he can run the country he can feed a few fish and pay the rent ... You her pimp? the landlord guesses again. Leo's not quite sure how to respond to that.


Title: Her house  
  
Author: Loz  
  
E-Mail: loz06@yahoo.com  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Category: Leo/Margaret  
  
Series: Well it's a sequel to Your house. Second of three Your house, Her house, Our house.  
  
Spoilers: None  
  
Archive (if applicable): Why not...  
  
Feedback: The good, the bad and the very ugly it's all appreciated.  
  
Summary: He hangs up on her, if he can run the country he can feed a few fish and pay the rent ... "You her pimp?" the landlord guesses again. Leo's not quite sure how to respond to that.  
  
Author's Notes: I have a third and final...titled Our house.  
  
Disclaimers: Ownership anywhere here, of WW or Your house from Alanis...don't think so.  
  
~*~  
  
Margaret what are you doing here, I thought you were visiting your family till Tuesday." Leo looks at her from across the top of his glasses.  
  
"I am sir, I just, oh geeze, I..." she paces back in forth in front of his desk.  
  
"Margaret breathe and stand still, you're making me dizzy."  
  
"I was supposed to give Donna my house key so she could feed my fish and pay my rent with the money I left on the kitchen table, but I can't find her and my flight leaves in an hour and the meter's running in the cab out front and..."  
  
"Give me the keys."  
  
"You." She squeaks.  
  
"I'll take care of it now go." He takes the key from her.  
  
"Thank you." She bobs her head and disappears as fast as she appeared.  
  
He picks up the phone and dials Josh's office.  
  
"Joshua Lyman's office." Donna answers.  
  
He looks at the key in his hand, turning it over and over.  
  
"Hello." Donna says at the other end.  
  
He hangs up on her, if he can run the country he can feed a few fish and pay the rent.  
  
*  
  
I went to your house  
  
Walked up the stairs  
  
*  
  
He looks up at Margaret's apartment block from outside, from all outward appearances it doesn't seem to bad. He walks up the front few steps and straight into the exposed corridor.  
  
The lack of security changes his opinion of the place, and then he realizes he doesn't know what apartment she's in.  
  
He finds the letterboxes hoping hers will have her name on it. It does 2F.  
  
He rips the tape off the mailbox. He doesn't want an unsavory character finding out where she lived as easily as he just did.  
  
No elevator, he takes the stairs.  
  
Outside her door he stands with his left arm high above him on the doorframe, right hand on the key in the lock  
  
If he does this he thinks, he can forget drugs and alcohol; unlawful entry will bring him down for sure.  
  
He turns the key in the lock.  
  
*  
  
And I opened your door without ringing the bell  
  
*  
  
Her apartment is very feminine and just a little quirky like herself.  
  
A bright mixture of pinks, reds, tangerines and lemons.  
  
There's a porcelain family of ducks on top of the TV and an abstract painting on the wall, closer inspection tells him it was painted by her in her last year of school.  
  
"Can I help you?" the voice spins him around and he's met with a large scruffy man in the doorway.  
  
"Are you Miss Margaret father?" he asks.  
  
"You're the landlord right?" the man nods his head.  
  
Leo grabs the envelope off her kitchen table, right where she said it would be.  
  
"Here's her rent." Leo hands him the envelope.  
  
"It's not due till Monday." He takes the envelope regardless.  
  
"The rest goes on next months rent." Leo pulls a hundred dollars from his wallet.  
  
"You her pimp?" the landlord guesses again.  
  
Leo's not quite sure how to respond to that.  
  
"I'm her boss, I'm feeding her fish while she's away for the weekend."  
  
"Thanks buddy." The landlord indicates with the money and closes the door behind him.  
  
*  
  
Walked down the hallway  
  
Into your room  
  
Where I could smell you  
  
*  
  
The vibrancy of her room almost blinds him, the walls are painted a fire orange, almost the same as her hair. The covers of her bad are hastily pulled up revealing an oriental design spread.  
  
He turns suddenly thinking she walked into the room next to him, then he realizes it's just this room is so her, he can smell her, he can feel her.  
  
His mobile phone interrupts him  
  
"Leo where are you?" Josh asks.  
  
*  
  
And I shouldn't be here  
  
without permission  
  
shouldn't be here  
  
*  
  
"I'll be there in 45 Josh." He hangs up not giving his deputy a chance to protest.  
  
*  
  
Would you forgive me love if I dance in your shower  
  
Would you forgive me love if I laid in your bed  
  
Would you forgive me love if I stayed all afternoon  
  
*  
  
He has a compelling urge to blow Josh off for the afternoon, grab some stuff form home and  
  
spend the weekend here.  
  
Something about the place makes him feel happy, light and young again.  
  
He doesn't entertain the thought it's her not her house.  
  
*  
  
I took off my clothes  
  
Put on your robe  
  
*  
  
He spies her robe poking out from under her pillow. He pulls the deep purple satin out and runs it through his hands. He can imagine the brilliant contrast against her vibrant hair.  
  
He swings it on over his suit shirt tying the purple sash around his waist; it probably looks horrible on him he thinks but ...  
  
What he can't say is that it's a way he can get close to her.  
  
*  
  
And I went through your draws  
  
And I found your cologne  
  
*  
  
He gasps as he opens her top draw revealing matching sets of satin underwear, red, purple, blue, white and black.  
  
As he glides his hands across them he comes across her perfume. The bottle says diamonds, he spray a short mist in front of him and leans in to take in the scent.  
  
He renames it Margaret.  
  
*  
  
Went down to your den  
  
Found your CD's  
  
And I played your Joni  
  
*  
  
In the lounge room he switches on the TV, the home shopping network pops up on front of him.  
  
The women are busy selling cookware and he marvels that there is a West Wing employee who realizes CNN isn't the only station on TV.  
  
He presses play on the VCR and Robert Redford and Michelle Phiffer appear on the screen.  
  
He knows this movie; she's a girl from small town USA who comes to town to be a reporter and works for him.  
  
Then the employee and boss fall in love.  
  
He leaves it on as Celine Dion's voice fills the house.  
  
*  
  
I shouldn't stay long  
  
Without permission  
  
Shouldn't stay long  
  
*  
  
A frog shaped clock croaks, telling him it's 1pm, he told Josh he'd be back in 15 minutes from now.  
  
To hell with Josh?  
  
*  
  
I burned your incense  
  
I ran a bath  
  
*  
  
In the bathroom he laughs at the myriad of creams and jells in her bathroom cupboard. Each promising it's own little miracle, if only she knew how much she doesn't need it he thinks.  
  
The bath is old styled, with clawed feet. He picks up three brown sticks lying across the soap dish; they have a strong sandalwood scent.  
  
So strong they make him sneeze.  
  
*  
  
And I noticed a letter that sat on your desk  
  
*  
  
It's on her bedside table, he can't believe he missed it the first time he came into her room  
  
*  
  
It said hello love  
  
I love you so love  
  
Meet me at midnight  
  
*  
  
He's got striking chestnut hair; they have their arms wrapped around each other grinning at the camera.  
  
He doesn't know she was seeing anyone.  
  
*  
  
And no, it wasn't my writing  
  
I'd better go soon  
  
It wasn't my writing  
  
*  
  
Sadness tinges as he realizes he wants to be the one in the photo with his arms around her, grinning like he hasn't a care in the world.  
  
*  
  
So forgive me love if I cry in your shower  
  
So forgive me love for the salt in your bed  
  
So forgive me love if I cry all afternoon  
  
*  
  
He shrugs out of the robe, putting it back under he pillow and walking hurriedly out of the room.  
  
He's confused as to if he wants her or not, now he knows he can't have her and it's wrong to want her, she's taken.  
  
He switches off the TV and gently pulls the door closed.  
  
He forgot to feed the fish  
  
What he doesn't realize is that the man in the photo is Margaret's brother.  
  
~*~ 


End file.
